Featured: News
‘Handshake deals and desk drawers’: Investigation shows former Parks & Rec director violated state procurement laws
An investigation by the Office of the Inspector General showed that a former Parks & Recreation director intentionally circumvented the state’s procurement laws by arranging a “handshake agreement” with a local food truck vendor, the OIG announced Monday in a...
Town measures response to ‘First Amendment auditors’ as new details on auditor emerge
While officials at Town Hall refused further comment on the situation, more information has been learned about the First Amendment auditor who paid a visit last week, which led to a town employee pulling a fire alarm. Last Friday, so-called "First Amendment auditors"...
CPC recaps project progress as FY 27 application deadline approaches
The Community Preservation Committee on Thursday reviewed progress made on previously approved projects and reminded the public that the application deadline for the upcoming fiscal year is on the horizon. Under the Community Preservation Act that was signed in 2000,...
Trails Committee reviews new trail proposals, talks e-bike use
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVgDbwNEFL8 The Trails Committee at its meeting Wednesday heard proposals for new trails at Cameron Woods and improvements to the Lake Maspenock Causeway Trail. Member David Freed presented a plan for two trails at Cameron Woods and the...
Video of Town Hall fire alarm incident leads to calls for termination, training
The release of a video by “First Amendment auditors” taken at Town Hall on Friday has town officials working to train staff on improving engagement with members of the public. The video, uploaded Monday to YouTube, shows public health nurse Simone Carter pulling a...
PFAS forum educates residents on potential sources, MWRA connection process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGF-dKVsidQ The town’s hour-long forum Tuesday night at the Hopkinton Public Library provided residents with information on efforts to keep per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS in the town’s water system below the current...
Arrests/Police Log, Sept. 17 edition
ARRESTS Sept. 10 5:46 a.m. On West Main Street, Officer Eva Cann arrested a 67-year-old from Saugus on a default warrant arrest. Sgt. Cody Normandin made arrangements with Alltown Fresh for his vehicle and trailer to stay in the parking lot. [Editor’s note: The...
Real Estate Transactions, Sept. 15 edition
Police: Cedar Street resident found dead inside home Thursday
A woman found deceased in her Cedar Street home Thursday apparently died by suicide, according to the town's deputy police chief. In an email to the Independent on Friday, Hopkinton Deputy Police Chief Scott van Raalten confirmed that a woman residing on Cedar Street...
OSPC reviews proposed Whitehall Conservation Area trail marking plan
The Open Space Preservation Commission on Thursday discussed trail markings proposed in the Whitehall Conservation Area and offered one change. These markings were proposed by the Friends of Whitehall (FOW). The map showed each trail designated by a different color,...
Conservation Commission addresses Leonard Street issues, approves COC
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdQ2j0v_kQo&t=8232s&ab_channel=HCAM The Conservation Commission on Tuesday approved a certificate of compliance request for 12 Leonard Street after the homeowner’s explanation changed the course of the protracted debate with the...
Community PFAS forum set for next Tuesday
The town will host a community forum regarding PFAS chemicals and related substances next Tuesday. Representatives of the Department of Public Works and the Board of Health will give a presentation and discuss questions related to PFAS in drinking water. The forum...
Arrests/Police Log, Sept. 10 edition
ARRESTS None this week. [Editor’s note: The Hopkinton Independent’s policy for the arrests section is not to include the names of individuals who have been arrested.] POLICE LOG September 2 8:10 a.m. Officer Robert Ekross completed community relations during...
Select Board approves Crust & Co. licenses for former Hillers Pizza location
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0Jh3KXSYlQ&ab_channel=HCAM The Select Board on Tuesday night approved common victualer and entertainment licenses for Crust & Co. in a 4-1 vote with conditions that would allow the pizza place to open as soon as required...
Board of Health tackles uncertainty over immunization services
The Board of Health on Monday spent time discussing the town’s capacity to continue providing immunization services in the wake of changes at both the federal and state levels. “We’re awaiting final guidance on all the vaccination schedules … how that’s changing, and...
Planning Board discusses how to hold The Trails accountable for Wilson Street damage
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq7gBzWnoz8&ab_channel=HCAM The Planning Board on Monday discussed how to address the owner of The Trails housing development's apparent failure to make repairs to Wilson Street he agreed to have completed by mid-May. The issue of...
Real Estate Transactions, Sept. 8 edition
Fire crews extingush 2-alarm fire at Avenue E commercial building
Hopkinton firefighters teamed up with mutual aid partners from multiple towns to extinguish a two-alarm fire in a Hopkinton commercial building Sunday afternoon. According to a press release from the Hopkinton Fire Department, crews were dispatched to 8-18 Avenue E —...
Historical Society identifies slave from Hopkinton who enlisted during American Revolution
Understanding Hopkinton’s role in events like the American Revolution is an ongoing project, and the discovery of a slave from town enlisting to fight in the war is broadening the picture. Recent research undertaken by the Hopkinton Historical Society has revealed the...
